The Humanities and Arts Higher Education Network

The Humanities and Arts Higher Education Network (HAN) is committed to the
improvement of teaching and learning in arts and humanities higher education. It
links researchers into arts and humanities higher education and humanities
educators throughout the UK. Members currently include representatives of some
70 universities, professional bodies and the Workers' Educational Association.

Aims

The current aims of the Network are:

through enhanced communication between educators in the arts and
humanities, to encourage reform of curricula, teaching methods, and assessment
and evaluative practices;

to promote identification and dissemination of good practice in humanities
teaching/learning; of successful methods and media (e.g. uses of group work,
problem-solving and guided-project work); of modern educational technologies
(multimedia and computing); and of strategies for student support and
acquisition of those study skills' which enable life-long learning (e.g.
accessing information, evaluating and presenting evidence, written and verbal
communication);

to promote the application of research into teaching and learning in the
humanities; to encourage teachers and researchers to collaborate, to meet
occasionally in order to discuss priorities and work in progress, and to plan
future projects.

Activities

The activities of the Network include:

a database of members is continuously updated and used to produce a
booklet listing each member's research interests and publications which is
distributed annually. The booklet enables members to identify others who share
their interests, contact them, exchange information and papers, and participate
in collaborative work if they wish to.

reports, papers etc., connected with teaching/learning in the arts and
humanities are disseminated to members

a conference is held in October, at which Network members present and
discuss work in progress and practical applications of research results

three newsletters are published annually

the possibility of establishing an international academic journal
dedicated to Arts and Humanities Higher Education is being explored

Research

In 1995 our commercial partner Blackwell Publishers, together with Oxford
Brookes University's Centre for Publishing Studies, undertook research on behalf
of the Network into the knowledge, skills and qualities publishing companies
expect of humanities graduates entering employment. A full report on their
findings will be published in 1996. The Network hopes to launch a second
research project shortly.

Joining the Network

The Network aims to be inclusive: any teacher or researcher in higher
education who thinks s/he will benefit from membership is welcome to join and
help shape its future direction.

It is administered from the Institute of Educational Technology (IET) at the
Open University in Milton Keynes, which is home to HERG, the Open University's
Humanities Higher Education Research Group. IET is well placed to support the
Group's work: it has an international reputation for excellence and innovation
in pedagogy, educational computing and research methodology. The range of its
members' expertise may be called upon if needed, as well as its R&D
infrastructure.

The Network is funded until Dec. 31st 1996 and is currently active in
soliciting funds from other sources to continue its existence. Carol Rowland,
the Network's manager, would be grateful for any suggestions from readers for
possible sources of funding.

If you wish to join the Humanities and Arts Higher Education Network, or
find out more about it, please contact: